Category Archives: Funk
KLEEER-WINNERS.
KLEEER-WINNERS. Kleeer, whose sophomore album Winners was recently released by BBR Records, could be described as a band with an identity crisis. After all, how many bands change their name five times? Kleeer did. Their origins can be traced to The Choice 4, an R&B band who were guided by Van McCoy. Richard Lee was …
INNER LIFE-INNER LIFE I.
INNER LIFE-INNER LIFE I. From 1978 onwards, things were changing at Salsoul. The Salsoul Orchestra played a huge part in Salsoul’s success. They were much more than musicians, with many of its members songwriters, arrangers and producers. This included the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey and Vince Montana Jr. So when …
THE STAPLES SINGERS FEATURING MAVIS STAPLES-THIS TIME AROUND.
THE STAPLES SINGERS FEATURING MAVIS STAPLES-THIS TIME AROUND. Having signed to Stax Records in 1968, The Staple Singers went on to be one of Stax’s most successful groups. They helped fill the void left by the death of Otis Redding and the loss of Sam and Dave to Atlantic Records. Along with Isaac Hayes and …
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT.
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT. By the summer of 1969, David Porter was one of the most important people at Stax Records. He’d played his part in the label’s success story since 1961, when he cowrote That was The Life I Live, the B-side to Barbara Stephens’ single I Don’t Worry. Soon, David established …
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON.
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON. Two years in the making, Sly and The Family Stone released There’s A Riot Goin’ On was released in November 1971. It was the followup to 1969s Stand, Sly and The Family Stone’s fourth album. Released to critical acclaim, Stand was Sly and The Family Stone’s …
EBO TAYLOR-EBO TAYLOR.
EBO TAYLOR-EBO TAYLOR. In the history of Ghanian music, Ebo Taylor is a pivotal figure. Best described as an innovator, Ebo Taylor’s music would influence the further generations of Ghanian musicians. However, Ebo was much more than a musician. He was also a songwriter, arranger, producer and bandleader. Ebo Taylor has done it all, and …
T-CONNECTION-MAGIC.
T-CONNECTION-MAGIC. T-Connection were an unlikely success story of the disco era. First up, they weren’t American, like most disco artists. Instead, they were from the Bahamas. Founded in 1975, T-Connection’s charismatic lead singer and keyboard player Theophilus T. Oakley was a classically trained musician. Along with bassist Kurt Oakley, drummer Berkeley Van Byrd, guitarist Monty …
GLORIA GAYNOR-LOVE TRACKS.
GLORIA GAYNOR-LOVE TRACKS. It’s almost fitting that the song that the song that rejuvenated Gloria Gaynor’s career was I Will Survive. After all, by December 1978, when Gloria Gaynor released Love Tracks, she was one of music’s survivors. She had to be. The last few years hadn’t been easy. Things had started well for Gloria, …
AURRA-A LITTLE LOVE.
AURRA-A LITTLE LOVE. It was in 1975, that Steve Washington formed his first band with his school friends Mark Hicks and Tim Dozier. Born in Newark, Steve was brought up in East Orange, New Jersey. Steve was from a musical family. His uncle was The Ohio Players’ Ralph “Pee Wee” Midlebrooks. During his holidays, Steve …
GLORIA GAYNOR-PARK AVENUE SOUND.
GLORIA GAYNOR-PARK AVENUE SOUND. When Gloria Gaynor released her 1975 debut album Never Can Say Goodbye, it turned out to be a landmark album. Indeed Never Can Say Goodbye is one of the most important albums in the history of disco. Produced by the Disco Corporation Of America, remixer Tom Moulton transformed Side One of …
FIRST CHOICE-HOLD YOUR HORSES.
FIRST CHOICE-HOLD YOUR HORSES. By the time First Choice signed to Gold Mind Records in 1976, they’d already released three albums since forming in Philadelphia 1972. First Choice would go on to release three albums for Gold Mind Records, a subsidiary of Salsoul Records. Their first release was 1977s Delusions, which contained two tracks that …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-NICE ‘N’ NASTY.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-NICE ‘N’ NASTY. Regular readers of this blog will have realized that two of my favorite labels are Philadelphia International Records and Salsoul Records. To me, both labels represent everything that’s good about music. This is real music, music played my real musicians, music that’s soulful and timeless. There isn’t a sampler, sequencer …
KON-ON MY WAY.
KON-ON MY WAY. For self-confessed crate-digger Kon, his raison d’etre is the pursuit of music with the perfect beat or break. He’ll leave no stone unearthed in his search for vinyl. He’s searched dusty basements, backstreet record shops, flea markets, charity shops and nowadays, online auctions looking for vinyl. They’re among his favorite haunts in his …
LOVE COMMITTEE-LAW AND ORDER.
LOVE COMMITTEE-LAW AND ORDER. Gold Mind Records was subsidiary of Salsoul Records, run by legendary Philadelphia guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer, Norman Harris. Norman was responsible for running the label, discovering the talent and with some of his Philly friends, writing, recording and producing these acts. Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure are just …
PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK-BORN TO LOVE.
PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK-BORN TO LOVE. Collaborations between successful solo artists don’t always work. Musical history proves this. There’s all sorts of pitfalls involved. Then there’s the fact that two egos are involved. So, what looks like being a musical marriage made in heaven, can quickly, turn into a nightmare. Rather than the album …
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y.
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y. By 1979 Ron Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young were still the hardest working and most in-demand rhythm section in music. They were currently part of The Salsoul Orchestra and accompanying artists like the undisputed Queen of Disco, Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure. They’d done everything, from writing, arranging and …
SYREETA-SYREETA.
SYREETA-SYREETA. Syreeta had come a long way since she first joined Motown. Back then, she was a receptionist and part-time demo singer at Motown, who had dreams of becoming a successful solo singer. Sometimes, dreams come true. They certainly did for Syreeta Wright. Having started work as a reception at Motown in 1965, she worked …
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